The principal goal of the Developmental Research Program is to fund promising early stage projects that address important translational objectives in prevention, early detection, and therapy of pancreatic carcinoma. Our principal intent for Developmental Research Program is to bring novel translational research projects to the SPORE program. Key elements that determine priority in this program are innovation, novelty, and potential for success in translational pancreatic cancer research. All Developmental Funds will be awarded by competition based on submission of a NIH-style pilot project application. There is a requirement for clear evidence that the proposed project shows potential of developing into a larger research project that will involve human intervention for pancreatic cancer (diagnostic or therapeutic). We will have available a minimum of $350,000 a year ($50,000 from the SPORE grant, $200,000 and a year in matching funds from office of the vice chancellor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and $100,000 a year in funds from the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center), which will be used to fund from 4-7 projects depending on the nature of the project and the budget. We will accept applications from single investigators for focused projects with budgets of up to $50,000 or larger collaborative projects involving two or more investigators with budgets of up to $100,000.Once a year, a request for proposals (RFP) is developed by the Principal Investigator and distributed to all faculty at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Creighton University, the University of Nebraska at Omaha, the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, University of Nebraska at Kearny, collaborating faculty at other institutions, and faculty members at other Institutions who have contacted us or have been identified by the SPORE Scientific Council, Internal Advisory Board, or External Advisory Committee as potential collaborators on existing projects or developers of important new SPORE projects related to pancreatic cancer. The projects must be translational in nature, and therefore must undertake a basic research project that has the potential of developing a human intervention within the next 7 years or a basic science investigation of a clinical observation or problem.